Vampire Bride

Chapter Seven - Part Two

Maxwell

The sight of her perfectly still body in a music filled room is disturbing considering every other time I saw her surrounded by music she was dancing. Although, tonight she's standing stick straight with her arms crossed over her chest. What a workaholic. Creeping up behind her, I can't help but to admire her body in yet another skintight outfit. The black and white dress gives an illusion of extra curves to her hips.

Careful to not touch any part of her, I lean in close. Unwillingly, the tip of my nose and lips brush her neck as my whisper startles her. "Oh, how I have missed you, Charlie."

Her shock and sheer stiffness disappointment me. All it does is push away any happiness I have in seeing her. The sound of hatred in her voice as she asks me how I found her makes anger of my own start to bubble to the surface. My reply of always being able to find her doesn't make her any more content with my presence.

When she accuses me of being in her house last night, I can only shrug it off, being careful not to give any hint that I was in fact in her house last night. "Maybe." My response is short, without giving a concrete answer.

"You have to leave; I could get fired for you being here. This isn't my party. I'm not allowed to just invite outsiders to events, even though you're more than an outsider," she lectures.

Just then, a tall girl in a ridiculous short hot pink frilly dress approaches us. "I didn't know you had such a cute boyfriend." I watch as her hand casually lands on Charlie's shoulder.

She whips around to face the young girl. The sensation of her frazzled nerves put my own nerves under duress. This girl is just a child and Charlie's heart rate accelerates with each pump from her presence.

"He's not my boyfriend, just some party crasher that I'm about to escort out." Charlie's arm jolts backward manically, searching for me without her breaking eye contact with the girl standing before us. When she does finally grip my arm her nails scratch at my skin, but only momentarily before her squeezing grip turns to a shove. Just then, I realize that this must be the birthday girl.

I stand my ground and extend my hand to her. "She's just being harsh since she's not allowed to have my company here. I assure you the fault is all mine. I'm Maxwell, by the way."

"The fault might be yours, but the pleasure is all mine," the young girl responds.

Before she can say anything further, Charlie interrupts with her hands flying in the air. "Whoa there, you're sixteen and he's...old, too old for you. He was just leaving. Weren't you, Maxwell?"

"He doesn't have to leave. He can dance with me." The look of joy on this girl's face makes my stomach turn. Her fingers quickly latch onto my arm and begin pulling me out onto the dance floor. I fully intended to bring Charlie with me, but Morgan came rushing to her side.

Charlie leaves the room, but not before giving me a stern look. As if I would do anything inappropriate with this needy child. As the song finally ends, I slip through several bodies, thankful that a handful of boys her own age gather around her. There's only one place I want to be and that's looking for Charlie.

The halls of the hotel are long and empty. Stopping in one of the side aisles, I take time to listen for her. Her heartbeat. Her breathing. The unmistakable thump of her footsteps on the carpeted floor. As she rounds the corner that I reside behind, a smile forms on my lips. "Are you getting tired?"

Her startled body jumps at my voice. "How did you escape Justice?" she asks with her hand clenching her chest.

"Justice? What justice did I escape when I'm still on trial?" I say, playing along with whatever she's getting at.